To celebrate this milestone, they have released a 10th anniversary edition that includes 25 brand new dishes, updated recipes, and lots of photos throughout. (The original edition just included a photo insert with a few highlighted dishes in the middle.)

With over 250 recipes in total, there’s everything from basics to lengthy cooking projects. It’s also newly formatted, so that there’s just one recipe per page, which makes for easier cooking and reading. These are all reasons that the 10th anniversary edition has 432 pages, and the original has 298.

Reading the 10th anniversary edition of Veganomicon was like being whisked back in time to my Glendale apartment, where David and I lived when we first got married. I got the original Veganomicon as a Christmas gift from my cousin when it first came out, and it was one of my favorite presents that year. I could hardly wait to tear into it.

When I wasn’t cooking out of it, this 3-pound book served double duty as my first tofu press. That was back in the days before a variety of tofu presses were available for sale. Instead, I’d cover a plate with a towel, cut water-packed tofu into 6 slices, cover the tofu in another towel, and top that with Veganomicon. On top of that, I’d put a 10-pound kettlebell. Then the whole thing would go in my refrigerator! You know you’re vegan if you have a kettlebell in your refrigerator… Nowadays, I just use vacuum-packed tofu, so that I don’t have to press it. But in a pinch, Veganomicon works. Plus, you get a cookbook out of the deal as well. Bonus!

Chickpea cutlets

But like so many other people, my #1 favorite would have to be the chickpea cutlets. They’re a vegan main dish that you can really dig into with a fork and knife, and they pair well with classics like mashed potatoes and gravy. I’ve used them as the main course on Thanksgiving several times.

I revisited the recipe again after getting the new edition of Veganomicon. I always like to do the baked version, as opposed to the fried one. I served them with a salad topped with lemon tahini dressing. Gravy isn’t a necessity on the chickpea cutlet, but it was on this particularly drizzly fall day. I made sage & pepper gravy from Vegan Diner, an easy gravy that uses pantry staples and is ready in minutes. Chickpea cutlets are also really lovely with orange-cranberry sauce.

Salt and pepper tofu

Then I revisited another old favorite – salt and pepper tofu. This recipe wasn’t in the original book, but it was available on the Post Punk Kitchen forum when the book was released. It was a tester recipe that people loved, but for whatever reason didn’t make it into the first edition. Luckily, it did make it into the 10th anniversary edition.

This salt and pepper tofu has lots of texture and crispiness from being coated with cornstarch. It has a peppery edge from red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, and a splash of rice vinegar. (Instead of frying the tofu this time, I used the air fryer, and then finished it off in a skillet with sautéed garlic and ginger. I’d say it’s a little tastier making the recipe as written, but you can’t beat the clean-up of the air fryer.)

I served the salt and pepper tofu with sautéed broccolini and pink rice. (I love using pink rice, because it cooks in just 20 minutes.) On the side, vegetable spring rolls from Trader Joe’s, also cooked in the air fryer.

Baked farro vegan casserole

Today I’m sharing a new recipe for you from the 10th anniversary edition – baked farro with tomatoes and herbs. This vegan casserole tastes like a pasta bake with the flavors of diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, and nutritional yeast. That makes it an excellent choice for serving to vegans and non-vegans alike.

The farro in this vegan casserole gives it a wonderful bite. Farro doesn’t have the popularity it deserves, but for people like me who prefer a chewy grain, it is worthy of higher billing. It has a dense texture, similar to wheat berries or barley.

This vegan casserole recipe serves six, but I went ahead and made the full allotment, even though I’m cooking for two. The flavors had a chance to meld as the days passed, making it excellent for leftovers and as a packed lunch option.

I served the baked farro with a simple salad on the side. It would also do well with roasted broccoli or sautéed spinach.

Rich and cheesy tasting without a lick of cheese (and with plenty of nutritional yeast), this comforting and easy tomato and herb-drenched baked farro casserole may bump your favorite pasta bake down a notch or two. Farro is a rustic, chewy variety of whole-kernel wheat rich in protein and fiber, and usually stocked in nice groceries with other heirloom grains, such as quinoa, or look wherever Mediterranean pastas and rices are sold.

Sort through the farro to remove any broken grains and rinse in a colander. In a large saucepan over medium, saute? the garlic and shallot in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes to soften the shallot. Stir in the farro and the bay leaf and saute? for another minute, then pour in the vegetable broth and the tomatoes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add oregano, thyme, and salt. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with a little more salt, if desired (if using water, you may want to), then stir in the parsley and nutritional yeast.

Pour the farro mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the farro has absorbed almost all of the liquid.

Pulse together the topping ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor (or pound with a mortar and pestle) into coarse crumbs. Take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and cover the top evenly with the walnut topping. Drizzle those 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and bake for 10 minutes to lightly brown the top of the casserole. For best results, allow the farro to sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly and firm up a bit. Serve warm; this casserole tastes even better the next day after the flavors have blended a bit more.

Comments

I can't wait to check out the anniversary edition of this book! I have borrowed Veganomicon from the library several times over the past few years. I would love to have my own copy, and the anniversary edition sounds even better than the original!

Haha! Of course you have! It really does make a good tofu press. The hard cover keeps the pages from getting damaged. (One time I pressed tofu with a thick, soft cover book, and that did not end well...)

Omg, I can't believe it's been 10 years! That book was so special to me in my early vegan days. And yes, those chickpea cutlets were my fave too! I MUST get this new edition for the photos and new pics. And it would be nice to have one recipe per page!

I am so excited to delve into the Veganomicon and so appreciate you sharing your favorites from this amazing cookbook. Plus, I always smile and laugh, because there is a scene from a vegan You Tube series where the "star" makes vegan-related quips. In one of them, he says, "When they were talking about the Bible, I just assumed they meant the Veganomicon." I just want to hug it!

Unbelievable that it's already been 10 years. I can't count the number of people I've recommended the original to as an excellent introduction to vegan cooking, so I'm happy that the book lives on, better than ever!

OMG so happy the salt and pepper tofu made it! It’ll be weird to use the new book and not see that familiar blue cover but seems totally worth it! I’d love to win this for my mom so I can take the OG back with me (or vice versa!).

I'd love to win this! I've been slowly adding to my collection of vegan cookbooks and haven't bought Veganomicon yet. So glad they have a new updated version! Plus, I could always use a good tofu press! 😉

I love Isa! I haven't made this yet so I'm excited because it really is the perfect cool October dinner...a fav from that book so far is the Vietnamese Seitan sandwich w spicy broth dip which I've made a million times...looking forward to this one & I love following your blog!

I'd love to have a copy with pictures and updated recipes, veganomicon was the first vegan cookbook I ordered 6 years ago, honestly I'd love to give it to my 12 year old daughter who is learning to cook but is also a very visual person the lack of pictures is a big reason for her the recipes go unused. I'm so glad she made this copy and thank you so much for the chance to win!!!!

I have the original but honestly I haven't explored it much, because of the layout. It's so dense. The idea of one recipe per page and more pics is so appealing. I know there are so many undiscovered gems in there!!

I would definitely like to win this because when I went vegan a few years ago the first cookbooks I bought were Isa's.I got both Vegan with a Vengeance and Vegan Brunch and the copies are recipe stained and falling apart.They were much loved.I had hoped to add Veganomicon but the chance never came:( Thank you for the opportunity add this to my beloved collection.

I took this out from the library and was only able to make 1 meal out of it because we were on holiday and someone requested it so I was unable to renew it once we got back. I would love to own it so I could give more recipes a whirl!

The pictures! I like to see the finished product, and will Google recipe titles from Veganomicon or Appetite for Reduction to see if I can find photos of them. With her other cookbooks, I will often choose to make something based on a photo, when flipping through. Also, the salt and pepper tofu sounds fantastic---I need to make it soon! Thanks for the giveaway!

Your post brought back many great memories as I thought back to ten years ago. We were basically newlyweds! The chickpea cutlets look delightful. I haven't had the pleasure of eating chickpeas in that form yet!